I am looking for accounts of individuals who had a "spiritual
awakening" or "spiritual experience" after having been diagnosed with
a terminal disease.
Are there certain patterns? How often does it occur? Is there a
psychological/physiological explanation?
Hello Qpet,
In my research I did not find specific cases of the type you requested
and cannot directly answer your question. Still, I would like to
provide you with answers regarding the more general idea as to why
spirituality is especially occurring when one is facing death.
Tallahassee Democrat - Facing death without fear (by Sharon Rauch)
"Why am I here? What's meaningful in my life? What is my purpose?
Where am I going?
For most of us, these questions remain the size of typewritten words.
For those who are dying, they become billboards. (...)
In essence, they're spiritual questions (...)
And whether or not people consider themselves religious, they tend to
ask them."
Psychological Effects of Recurrent or Advanced Breast Cancer
http://www.bcis.org/GeneralInfo/psyrecur.html
"Faith and spirituality can be a mainstay for some patients and family
members as well. (...) In this journey with breast cancer, there can
be much joy, much emotion, and spiritual growth; and of course, some
dashing defeats."
Death and Dying Care? An operational theology after the diagnosis (by
Jonathan C. Chen)
http://yushanth.org.tw/main/publication/schoolpapers/007/007-5.htm
"Samuel Johnson is reported to have said that 'when a man knows he's
to be hanged in a fortnight's time, it concentrates his mind
wonderfully.'(...)
"Ernest Becker has argued that the human dilemma is that we are
inescapably finite and we know it. Our existential plight is that we
know we will die. Because that is such a terrifying prospect, Becker
says, we are willing to spend a great deal of time and money to
circumvent the reality of our finitude. (...)
Such denial is more difficult for the patient whose cancer is
life-threatening. There is an intensification, however slight, of the
awareness of mortality and finitude."
In this essay, Ted Rosenthal is quoted to have written the following
while dying of leukemia:
"I realized... that I felt really good for the first time in my life.
Not just a flash of good feeling like twenty minutes of good feelings,
but a sustained feeling that I had nothing, and having nothing I had
nothing to lose, and having nothing to lose I could be anything... I
had nothing I had to be, nothing I had to care about. And I felt
free... Once you have nothing, you can be anything, and that's a
feeling of freedom.
And I would say reasons for spiritual awakening when faced with a
terminal disease are:
- It's too late to postpone questions of life. Religion tries to give
answers to the questions of life.
- One also cannot wait anymore forgiving others. Spirituality is about
forgiveness.
- Religion can give answers to what happens after life. Naturally when
whatever constitutes "after life" comes closer, people seek answers as
to what it will be.
- It gives a meaning to death if one believes it's God's decision, as
opposed to a random act of nature.
- Spirituality gives meaning on another level than just what we see,
what science tells us, and what nature makes our body feel; the body
is mortal but the soul might not be.
- If one realizes everything on this earth will be lost, the mind is
cleared of ideas of possession and wealth, ready to embrace
spirituality.
Hope this helps!
Search terms:
spiritual "after diagnosis" terminal
cases "spiritual awakening" facing death
I'm glad you liked the answer. Thanks for the tip.
czh
Hello,
I researched this for a while (partly because I'm interested in the
same question), but came to realize I could only answer the first half
of your question, but not the latter part about patterns.
So...here is what I found, on the house, in the hopes it might be of
interest:
http://www.thehealingbridge.org/themes/illness.html
The Healing Bridge
THEME:illness
--Richard’s healing journey spanned many years of enduring chronic
illness and multiple surgeries. Through these he discovered the vital
connection between body and soul. His healing bridges included writing
poetry and prose, his daughter, a transformative near-death
experience, ritual, and the power of caring.
OCCUPATION: Writer / Editor
AGE: 53
".... Prejudiced as we are against death, we do not manage to release
it from all its distorted images, it is a friend, our deepest friend,
perhaps the only one who can never be misled by our attitudes and
vacillations--and this, you must understand, not in the
sentimental-romantic sense of life's opposite, a denial of life: but
our friend precisely when we most passionately, most vehemently,
assent to being here, to living and working on earth, to Nature, to
love. Life simultaneously says Yes and No. Death (I implore you to
believe this!) is the true Yes-sayer. It says only Yes. In the
presence of eternity."
--Severe bodily pain started Peg on a path of complete physical,
mental and spiritual transformation. Her whole reality changed as she
connected to lost parts of herself. Through total self-acceptance and
learning to express herself freely she discovered the meaning of true
strength. Peg's healing led to a brand new life.
--Diagnosed with a fibroid tumor, Hemitra realized her healing needed
both conventional and alternative medicine. Her story is rich with
resources and shows the potency of combining spiritual, psychological,
emotional, shamanic and surgical approaches.
--Teresa Rose woke to healing through her mother's death. She found a
new life and career in holistic health and experienced relief from
chronic illness through an accelerated path of growth. As a parent she
speaks to the changes healing brought to her family and work and the
importance of responsibility.
[the site includes fuller stories for each of these brief
descriptions, and generally includes contact information for each.
Other themes at the site deal with many aspects of spiritual growth)
-----
http://www.spcare.org/resources/books/topics-deathanddying.html
This site of the Spiritual Care Program International lists a number
of books under a heading of "Death and Dying" that address spiritual
matters regarding our mortality. I'd especially like to point out
this book:
Death: The Final Stage of Growth
Elisabeth K bler-Ross
A wonderful set of essays which demonstrate the potential for growth
and healing in the last stages of life. The title essay by Rev. Imara
illustrates how we can help the dying move through resistance, anger,
and fear, and find meaning in their lives. Prentice-Hall, 1975.
I attended a lecture given by Dr. Ross many years ago. She had an
audience full of scientists -- generally not the warmest bunch of
humans on the planet -- amazed, enthralled, and in tears with her
stories of people's pain and courage and ultimate growth at the end of
their lives.
-----
http://www.after-death.com/books/book_list.asp?g=4
This site lists another set of books that are mostly personal accounts
of pain and growth by those confronted with terminal illness. I've
listed a few of them here:
--Final Gifts
Understanding the Special Awareness, Needs, and Communications of the
Dying
Maggie Callanan, R.N. & Patricia Kelley, R.N.
--Before I Say Goodbye
Recollections and Observations from One Woman's Final Year
Ruth Picardie
--A Year to Live
How to Live This Year As If It Were Your Last
Stephen Levine
--A Gradual Awakening
Stephen Levine
--Healing into Life and Death
Stephen Levine
-----
http://www.christianwomentoday.com/growth/fork.html
"Keep Your Fork"
A relatively lightweight, but worthwhile story about passage to the
next realm, from a Christian perspective.
----
www.wcls.org/youth/deathanddying.pdf
The Final Chapter: Books on Death and Dying for Young Adults
A site that give brief summaries of books that deal with sickness in
teens, and what it means for their lives and spirits.
-----
http://www.spiritualhealings.com/testimonials.php
This site includes a selection of people's stories about spiritual
growth when faced a number of afflictions (see the list below). It
has a "new age" feel to it.
Spiritual Healings:
testimonials
Category:
Broken Bones
Cancer
Psychological
Other Healers
Chronic Pain
Hepatitis C
Herpes
Severe Burns
Bursitis
Muscular Distrophy (Limb Girdle)
Migraines
Eye and Jaw Pain
-----
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=%22spiritual+growth%22+facing+death&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&safe=off&selm=5a7y4.7637%24FX.27888%40news1.news.adelphia.net&rnum=11
There are many discussion groups on the web that focus on spiritual
matters. At the link above -- "Having chemo has totally changed my
boyfriend's personality" -- is a discussion of how difficult spiritual
growth can be -- adversity can lead to a shrinking of the spirit as
well as its growth.
-- Beliefnet.com::
Allen, Jaden - Rare form of Crohnes Disease Diagnosis Awakening, A Spiritual - A Spiritual Awakening for our Teenage Yound People
http://www.beliefnet.com/prayer/directory.aspHOME |
Psychoactive Sacramentals--Essays on Entheogens and Religion::
What is most distinctive about the spiritual awakening in our time is a . One of his fellow students, after the experiment, stated "Entheogens…are
http://www.hofmann.org/Reviews/psychoactive sacramentals.htmHOME |
The link for the first article quoted:
Tallahassee Democrat - Facing death without fear (by Sharon Rauch)
http://www.tallahassee.com/mld/tallahassee/2844897.htm
In depth answer! Great job! Very useful!
Hello qpet-ga,
I’ve been following the questions you’ve asked so far and found the
scope and range fascinating. I’m glad I finally got a chance to answer
one of them.
I found that in exploring the issue of confronting death and having
spiritual experiences I had to deal with two different types of
situations and questions: 1) terminally ill people preparing for death
and 2) people who had a near death experience who are relieved they
don’t have to face death just yet. I reframed your question to see how
spirituality comes into play in both of these classes of
life-threatening experiences.
My research showed that there is a large body of literature addressing
the topic of terminal illness and how people prepare for imminent
death. This literature has some information about the spiritual
aspects of illness and how religious faith may impact coping with
suffering and death, but it’s not the focal point of most of the
resources and articles. Instead, the main issue of the materials
dealing with the experiences of the terminally ill, their loved ones,
physicians and caregivers has to do with helping the patient have a
“good death.” There are some studies to evaluate how patients are
experiencing the dying process. The most striking finding has been
that patients are in pain to a greater extent than their doctors
thought. There are new movements in medicine to give better palliative
care.
There is also a large body of literature on how to prepare the
terminal patient for death and especially on the role of hospice
services. Much of this literature treats the patient as the subject of
others’ care and concern and addresses the needs of the caregivers.
Some of the literature counteracts this by discussing how the patient
can take control of how they want to die. The role of religion and
spirituality in discussions of terminal illness speaks more to the
growth or evolution of existing beliefs rather than coming to a
“spiritual awakening.”
There is also a large body of literature and resources for near death
experiences (NDE) and the experience of “cheating death.” This
literature is much more involved with spirituality and the claim that
the near death experience leads life transformation. There is much
anecdotal evidence and there are many web sites that collect personal
stories where people share their experience and what it meant to them.
Much of this personal literature claims mystical and life affirming
transformation for the subjects.
The description of near death experiences is fairly consistent (see
below) but there isn’t scientific consensus on what causes the
reported experiences. The most interesting report I found on this
subject is the prospective study of cardiac patients that was
published in The Lancet in 2001. This study found that 18% of the
patients reported NDE experiences and that the experience had a
transformative experience. There are some other studies that seem to
confirm that patients are having an experience that changes how they
live their lives. It must be noted that not all NDE are positive and
that for some people the experience is very stressful and a few have
been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress type of symptoms.
The spiritual enlightenment aspect of the NDE experience does not seem
to have been studied rigorously. Most of the literature seems to be
anecdotal. Some patients see their experience through the lens of
their religious beliefs while others have a more generic “spiritual”
experience.
I think the resources I’ve listed below will give you a deeper
understanding of the overview of this issue. Please ask for
clarification for any of this.
I look forward to your future questions.
czh
================
TERMINAL ILLNESS
================
----------------------------------------------
TERMINAL ILLNESS -- DESCRIPTION AND ASSISTANCE
----------------------------------------------
http://www.nih.gov/ninr/wnew/symptoms_in_terminal_illness.html
Symptoms in Terminal Illness: A Research Workshop
Patients at the end of life experience many of the same symptoms and
syndromes, regardless of their underlying medical condition. Pain is
the most obvious example, but others are difficult breathing
(dyspnea), transient episodes of confusion and loss of concentration
(cognitive disturbances and delirium), loss of appetite and muscle
wasting (cachexia), as well as nausea, fatigue, and depression.
http://www.globalideasbank.org/LA/LA-4.HTML
Life-threatening illness - its psychological dimensions
The following are adapted extracts from a talk given by Josefine
Speyer to hospital and hospice nurses at the Centre for Cancer and
Palliative Care Studies at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London SW3.
It is aimed, however, at a wider group: the patient; the carer, family
and friends; nurses and others in the medical team and the volunteer
Befriender.
http://www.globalideasbank.org/LA/LA-14.HTML
Accepting death and emerging spiritually
What I was interested in understanding was how facing death might
define how we lived; how the way we lived might define how we died. In
short, I wanted to know whether it was possible to live well while
preparing for death, and then to die well when it was time to die.
http://www.counselingforloss.com/article8.htm
Beware the 5 Stages of "Grief"
Few concepts have insinuated themselves into the popular culture as
thoroughly as the so called "5 Stages of Grief": Denial, Anger,
Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance. We've heard it from professionals
in all areas of the healthcare system (who should know better) as well
as from lay persons of all ages (who shouldn't). There is even a
lengthy comedy routine about it by Dustin Hoffman playing Lenny Bruce
in the movie Lenny. The time has now come to ditch it as the concept
has done more harm than good.
http://www.seriousillness.org/lane/emotional/index.html
Living with Serious Illness
Emotional-Spiritual Issues
As we face the possibility that we are in the last chapter of our
lives, our priorities suddenly change. Life’s details may fade to the
background, and we may find ourselves looking at its deeper meanings.
Old conflicts pale in importance, and the desire to resolve
difficulties with family relationships often comes to the fore.
Serious illness presents an opportunity to evaluate one’s life. People
often reflect upon their accomplishments and even humbly acknowledge
their regrets. When facing a serious illness, we commonly think about
what remains undone and focus on addressing those issues one day at a
time.
http://www.dyingwell.com/default.htm
Defining Wellness through the End of Life
Resources for people facing life-limiting illness, their families, and
their professional caregivers
http://www.hospicenet.org/html/help_yourself.html
Helping Yourself Live When You Are Dying
You have learned that you are dying. Terminal illness presents human
beings with an exceedingly difficult and contradictory challenge; you
are dying, you know you are dying, yet it is your nature to want to
live. The thoughts in this brochure are intended to help you deal with
this tension and to continue to live even though you are dying.
----------------------------------------
TERMINAL ILLNESS -- SURVEYS AND RESEARCH
----------------------------------------
http://rx.magazine.tripod.com/eol_20001206.htm
END OF LIFE
A Changing Impulse: Will to Live Fluctuates in Terminally Ill Patients
The most recent study on death and dying in the terminally ill
indicates that people's reaction to impending death varies widely, and
that care for the dying should take into account patients' changing
moods and needs.
Researchers tested 168 patients at the Riverview Palliative Care
Center, in Winnipeg, Canada, on a wide scale of emotional and physical
responses to their end-of-life situation.
http://www.thelancet.com/search/search.isa
Religion, spirituality, and medicine
R P Sloan, E Bagiella, T Powell
Lancet 1999; 353: 66467
Conclusions
Even in the best studies, the evidence of an association between
religion, spirituality, and health is weak and inconsistent.
We believe therefore that it is premature to promote faith and
religion as adjunctive medical treatments. However, between the
extremes of rejecting the idea that religion and faith can bring
comfort to some people coping with illness and endorsing the view that
physicians should actively promote religious activity among patients
lies a vast uncharted territory in which guidelines for appropriate
behaviour are needed urgently.
http://www.thelancet.com/search/search.isa
The promise of a good death
Ezekiel J Emanuel, Linda L Emanuel
Lancet 1998; 351 (suppl II): 21-29
Nevertheless, these efforts have been separate from the central
concerns of medical care; clinicians have not been trained to explore
spiritual and existential issues and rarely inquire about, discuss, or
address them with patients. Consequently, despite the avowed
importance of spiritual and existential issues, there are few data on
them and their relation to a good death.42,43 We do not know: what
proportion of dying patients become more religious, or, conversely,
alienated from spirituality; or what proportion receive comfort from
their faith, whether this comfort is from formal interaction with a
religious mentor or a more informal spirituality. As a result, there
is little information on what interventions--such as training
clinicians in discussing spiritual issues or closer interaction with
clergy--might improve the spiritual condition of dying patients.
---------------------------------------------------
TERMINAL ILLNESS -- PORTALS, DIRECTORIES, LIBRARIES
---------------------------------------------------
http://www.virtualcs.com/dsm4/lesson2_5.html
DSM-IV Religious and Spiritual Problems
LESSON 2.5 Terminal and Life-Threatening Illness
Description
Although listed here as a religious problem, both religious and
spiritual beliefs and practices can influence the ways patients react
to illness. This is particularly true in the case of terminal
illnesses that raise fears of physical pain, the unknown risks of
dying, the threat to integrity, and the uncertainty of life after
death. In addition, religious and spiritual changes often occur during
terminal illness related to feelings of loss, alienation, abandonment,
anger, suffering; and dependency.
Religious coping is one of the main strategies used to address these
fears, along with exercising self-control and talking to friends and
family about them.
Associated Clinical Problems
The nursing diagnostic nomenclature specifically notes that Spiritual
Distress can be related to the inability to practice religious
rituals, and the conflict between religious or spiritual beliefs and
prescribed health regimen[3] (as illustrated in the case example
below). Religious beliefs, participation in religious rituals, and
affiliation with a religious community can all be affected by serious
illness. Loss or questioning of faith, anger at God, guilt over
"sins", and discontinuation of religious practices are frequent
sequelae of terminal and life-threatening illness.
http://www.globalideasbank.org/LA/lacontent.html
Last Aid Manual -- Table of Contents
Every family should have a First Aid manual in case of emergencies
which may or may not occur. Likewise, every family should have a Last
Aid manual, for death is an emergency that will definitely occur,
confronting each and every member of the family, and it is as well to
be prepared.
The present volume is a joint project between the Befriending Network,
a charity which trains and supervises volunteer Befrienders who visit
the homes of those with a critical illness, and the Natural Death
Centre, a charity which gives advice on inexpensive,
environmentally-friendly or family-organised funerals. This booklet is
a digest of recent material covering everything from how best to be a
companion to those who are dying to how best to arrange burials so as
to return the body to nature.
***** This is an exceptional guide and resource for anyone preparing
for death.
http://www.growthhouse.org/
Growth House, Inc., provides this award-winning portal as your
international gateway to resources for life-threatening illness and
end of life care. Our primary mission is to improve the quality of
compassionate care for people who are dying through public education
and global professional collaboration. Our search engine gives you
access to the Internet's most comprehensive collection of reviewed
resources for end-of-life care.
http://www.after-death.com/books/book_list.asp?g=4
Terminal Illness
Books for assisting the terminally ill, their caregivers, and their
family members
http://www.skdesigns.com/internet/spirit/death.html
Spirituality and Alternative Healing: Death, Dying, and Terminal
Illness
General Information, Near Death & Afterlife Studies and Information,
Caregivers Information
***** This site provides a variety of resources for anyone interested
in end of life issues with special resources for caregivers.
http://members.tripod.com/~chippit/living_fully.html
Reflections..on Being Human -- Living Our Dying
***** This is a collection of short pieces from authors in various
spiritual practices.
http://griefnet.org/library/biblio/terminal.html
Terminal Illness & Dying Process
***** This site reviews about a dozen books on dealing with terminal
illness.
http://www.cyber-nurse.com/page/dying.htm
The Dying Person
***** This is a comprehensive guide for nurses and covers the
following topics in a pared down, “no nonsense” style.
Terminal Illness
Attitudes About Death
The Stages Of Dying
Psychological, Social, and Spiritual Needs
Physical Needs
The Resident's/Patient's Family
Hospice Care
"Do Not Resuscitate" Orders
Living Wills
Signs Of Death
Care Of The Body After Death
(Procedure) Assisting With Postmortem Care
http://dying.about.com/cs/forthedying/index.htm
Resources for the Dying
For those who are dying, information about legalities, practical
issues, and inspiration for their journey.
======================
NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCES
======================
---------------------------------
NDE -- DESCRIPTION AND ASSISTANCE
---------------------------------
http://www.newagedirectory.com/nde/nde_profile.htm
The Near Death Experience
Listed below are a number of the common elements that fit a general
profile for the near death experience. Some people have reported all
of them, while others, only a few.
1. A feeling of peace and quiet overcomes them, a cessation of pain
at this point, floating out of their body, seeing the room they are
in.
2. Suddenly they are drawn through a dark tunnel accompanied by a
loud noise.
3. They see friends, family, other people, or angel types who
welcome them and help them along while comforting them.
4. At the end they reach the light and encounter a being of light
that makes them feel loved and unafraid.
5. At this point they have a life review, where every detail of their
life is recalled. There is no judgment, only understanding what and
why.
6. They reach a boundary or border over which they cannot pass. They
learn many things and see and hear beautiful things, some of which are
forgotten when they return.
7. Some are given the option to return, while others are told they
must return because it is not their time. Those that refuse to return
are ejected and they return to their bodies reluctantly.
8. Disappointment upon return, pain, if present before, returns,
sometimes depression.
9. Transformation takes place in their lives, more spiritual, less
materialistic and religious. No longer afraid of death. Some talk
about it, while others keep it to themselves.
http://www.iands.org/scary.pdf
International Association for Near-Death Studies
Understanding and Coping with a Frightening Near Death Experience
***** This is an 8 page brochure that reviews theories about the
experience and list a variety of organizations who might help.
http://www.sikhreview.org/july2002/para.htm
Near Death Experience & Its Luminous Serenity.
Near death experience, or NDE, is an outlet into a divine dimension of
human consciousness, that is latent in all of us. This is similar to
mystic experience described by philosopher William James. This is an
experience that is noetic. It is self-certifying because it is a form
of knowledge. It is profoundly life changing. It is pure and simple an
experience of Light.
http://www.newagedirectory.com/nde/transformation.htm
Spiritual transformation changes their lives.
After their Near death experience NDE, the majority claims that their
lives changed dramatically. They say that their Near death experience
has made them become more spiritual rather than religious and more
inclined to seek out the spiritual rather than the material aspects of
life.
http://www.iands.org/terminally_ill.html
NDEs in the Terminally Ill
NDEs during terminal illness differ in several ways from those that
occur in acute settings, such as heart attacks or car accidents.
---------------------------
NDE -- SURVEYS AND RESEARCH
---------------------------
http://profezie3millennio.tripod.com/archivio/TheLancet_NDE.htm
http://www.thelancet.com/search/search.isa
The Lancet 2001, Volume 358 Issue 9298 Page 2039-45
Near-death experience in survivors of cardiac arrest: a prospective
study in the Netherlands
Pim van Lommel, Ruud van Wees, Vincent Meyers, Ingrid Elfferich
Division of Cardiology, Hospital Rijnstate, Arnhem, Netherlands (P van
Lommel MD); Tilburg, Netherlands (R van Wees PhD); Nijmegen,
Netherlands (V Meyers PhD); and Capelle a/d Ijssel, Netherlands (I
Elfferich PhD)
Methods In a prospective study, we included 344 consecutive cardiac
patients who were successfully resuscitated after cardiac arrest in
ten Dutch hospitals. We compared demographic, medical,
pharmacological, and psychological data between patients who reported
NDE and patients who did not (controls) after resuscitation. In a
longitudinal study of life changes after NDE, we compared the groups 2
and 8 years later.
Significant differences in answers to 13 of the 34 items in the
life-change inventory between people with and without an NDE are shown
in table 4. For instance, people who had NDE had a significant
increase in belief in an afterlife and decrease in fear of death
compared with people who had not had this experience. Depth of NDE was
linked to high scores in spiritual items such as interest in the
meaning of one's own life, and social items such as showing love and
accepting others. The 13 patients who had superficial NDE underwent
the same specific transformational changes as those who had a core
experience.
Thus, social conditioning causes NDE to be traumatic, although in
itself it is not a psychotraumatic experience. As a result, the
effects of the experience can be delayed for years, and only gradually
and with difficulty is an NDE accepted and integrated. Furthermore,
the longlasting transformational effects of an experience that lasts
for only a few minutes of cardiac arrest is a surprising and
unexpected finding.
http://www.nderf.org/purpose_lifereview.htm
Life Review, Changed Beliefs, Universal Order and Purpose, and the
Near-Death Experience
This study is a retrospective review of data received from an Internet
survey on the Near Death Experience Research Foundation (NDERF)
website www.nderf.org (Long, 2003).
http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/internet/personalitystudies/
The Division of Personality Studies (DOPS) is a unit of the Department
of Psychiatric Medicine at the University of Virginia. Utilizing
scientific methods, we investigate apparent paranormal phenomena,
especially:
Children Who Claim to Remember Previous Lives (reincarnation)
Near-Death Experiences
Out of Body Experiences
Apparitions and After-Death Communications
Deathbed Visions
http://www.barnesjewish.org/groups/default.asp?NavID=753
Near Death Experiences Change Lives
June 27, 2002, ST. LOUIS, MO -- Patients who have near death
experiences gain an increased understanding of life and some felt they
recovered more quickly from their illnesses according to research at
Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine.
http://www.nderf.org/religion_spirituality.htm
Near-Death Experience, Religion, and Spirituality
ABSTRACT: One of the last frontiers of study surrounds spirituality
and NDE. However, this is a highly sensitive issue due to the nature
of religion. What this study attempts to do is to objectively look at
the data submitted by NDErs to the website and to categorize the
answers. Questions that are analyzed include pre and post NDE
religious preference, and changed beliefs. There are some surprising
results that focus on universal purpose and order gained from NDE
understandings.
http://www.soton.ac.uk/~pubaffrs/0128.htm
16 February 2001, Research body will shed more light on near death
experiences
University of Southampton researchers have just published a paper
detailing their pioneering study into near death experiences (or NDEs)
that suggests consciousness and the mind may continue to exist after
the brain has ceased to function and the body is clinically dead.
http://leda.lycaeum.org/Documents/Using_Ketamine_to_Induce_the_Near-Death_Experience.9260.shtml
Using Ketamine to Induce the Near-Death Experience: Mechanism of
Action and Therapeutic Potential
Jansen, K. L. R. (1996) Yearbook for Ethnomedicine and the Study of
Consciousness (Jahrbuch furr Ethnomedizin und Bewubtseinsforschung)
Issue 4, 1995 (Ed.s C. Ratsch; J. R. Baker); VWB, Berlin, pp55-81.
Near-death experiences (NDE's) can be induced using the dissociative
drug ketamine. Advances in neuroscience have recently provided us with
new insights as to the mechanisms involved at the mind -brain
interface. On the 'brain' side, it is now clear that these NDE's are
due to blockade of brain receptors (drug binding sites) for the
neurotransmitter glutamate.
-----------------------------------
NDE PORTALS, DIRECTORIES, LIBRARIES
-----------------------------------
http://www.virtualcs.com/
Internet Guided Learning courses provide training in Internet skills
to keep up with developments in the mental health field using online
clinical resources and research
http://www.virtualcs.com/dsm4/lesson3_4.html
DSM-IV Religious and Spiritual Problems
LESSON 3.4 Near-Death Experience
Description
The near-death experience (NDE) is a subjective event experienced by
persons who come close to death, who are believed dead and
unexpectedly recover, or who confront a potentially fatal situation
and escape uninjured.
NDE and Psychopathology
In the proposal to the Task Force on DSM-IV for the new diagnostic
category, Religious or Spiritual Problem, the NDE was used as an
example of a spiritual problem that warrants clinical attention, but
is not a mental disorder.
Associated Clinical Problems
Despite generally positive outcomes, significant intrapsychic and
interpersonal difficulties frequently arise in the wake of an NDE.
Treatment
Spiritual experiences that occur during an NDE are often a prominent
issue in therapy. Yet prior religious beliefs do not affect either the
likelihood or the depth of the near-death experience. An atheist is
as likely to have a life-changing NDE as a devoutly religious person.
http://www.mindspring.com/~scottr/end.html
Near-Death Experiences
Links to most of the near-death experience (NDE) information on the
internet.
http://www.equip.org/free/DT082-1.htm
THE NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCE (Part One): The New Age Connection
Christian Research Journal, Spring 1992
http://www.equip.org/free/DT082-2.htm
THE NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCE (Part Two): Alternative Explanations
In this issue our discussion explores alternative explanations to
those of the New Age movement for NDEs. First, there are a number of
medical explanations. These range from legitimate possibilities, such
as the effects of endorphins and hypoxia, to more incredible
propositions, such as the "memories of birth" interpretation. Second,
some of the findings of both secular and Christian psychologists and
medical professionals who have researched NDEs are found to conflict
with New Age interpretations.
http://www.zeal.com/category/preview.jhtml?cid=289227
Home > Books that help deal with adversity, trauma, change-Life Challenges::
In 1984, a health crisis sparked Martia Nelson's spiritual awakening and .. When Cancer: The10 Essential Steps to Follow After Your Diagnosis(Rodale
http://www.lifechallenges.org/create/books.htmlHOME |
Library Web Report - BC::
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTMLHow does one plan for the future after a diagnosis? From basic One Woman's Journey: A Story of MS and Spiritual Awakening. 363 pages 2007
http://www.mssociety.ca/bc/PDF/booklist.PDFHOME |
HIV ANONYMOUS::
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTMLHaving had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, .. terminal illness is a major challenge. We are individuals who meet regularly as a group
http://www.hivcollaborativefund.org/fileadmin/HIVCDocs/HIV_AnonymousManual_061906.pdfHOME |
 Where's The Advantage In Windows Genuine Advantage?
 Stocks Bounce After S&P Joins Bear Market
|
